The traditional leveling tool used by carpenters, machinists, construction workers and others has an elongated, essentially rectangular body and a transparent vial containing liquid and a bubble. The bubble centers at a marked location on the vial when the tool is in a horizontal orientation and thereby indicates that a surface against which the tool is abutted is in a level condition. One or more orthogonally positioned vials are usually provided so that the tool may also be used to indicate when an object is in a strictly vertical orientation. Some leveling tools can also be adapted to indicate when an object, such as a length of drain pipe for example, has a desired inclination or grade.
Use of the conventional leveling tool under many conditions requires that it be continually gripped and supported by one of the operator's hands. This is necessary, for example, when the tool is used to plumb a vertical object such as a post or to level an overhead structural member. Continuous gripping of the tool is also required when it is used to level, plumb or grade objects having a curved surface, such as cylindrical pipes, posts or columns, or when the object is narrower than the tool itself.
Typically, other operations must be performed while the leveling tool is held in abutment with an object and these can be exceedingly difficult to perform with only one free hand. As one specific example, the setting of fence posts requires support and manipulation of the post itself and then securing of the base of the post while the leveling tool is held against the post to assure that it is installed in a strictly vertical orientation. Problems are further compounded in that the traditional leveling tool must be applied to one position on the post and then be shifted ninety degrees around the circumference of the post to assure that it is coincident with both of two orthogonal vertical planes. As a practical matter, repeated repositioning of the tool and manipulations of the pole may be needed to bring it into an exactly vertical alignment. Preferably such a tool should enable one step plumbing of objects without repositioning of the tool.
Under some conditions the leveling tool can be strapped to the post or other object that is to be plumbed or leveled but at best this has required time consuming complications. Consequently, it is a common practice in construction projects to involve more than one worker in the operations. This is a cost inefficiency and it is a solution that is not available to a person who is working alone.
It would be highly advantageous if the leveling tool were self supporting thereby freeing both hands of an operator for other activities. This has heretofore been accomplished in the case of tools designed for plumbing, leveling or grading steel objects by mounting magnets in the tool. Such magnetized tools are not self supporting on other types of material such as wood, plastic, concrete or the like.
Conventional leveling tools are also subject to other problems. For example, reading of the bubble vials may be difficult when the tool is held in certain positions. Gripping of the tool during use can be somewhat awkward as the operator's fingers cannot extend around the surface of the tool which is abutted against an object. In situations where both of the operator's hands can be freed by resting the tool on a flat horizontal object, it remains subject to displacement if the object is moved.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.